Are you dreaming of a beautiful and functional kitchen that will bring your culinary prowess to greater heights? Transforming your current kitchen to your vision is something you can do with careful planning and lots of research.
However, a kitchen renovation is one of the most expensive projects you can take on in your home. The average in the United States, for example, sits at a hefty $18,527. It’s certainly not cheap. is one of the most expensive projects you can take on in your home. The average in the United States, for example, sits at a hefty $18,527. It’s certainly not cheap, but you can click here for more information on budgeting for your kitchen renovation.
The good news? In most cases, you can recoup a large chunk of this investment during resale. But it does mean you need to follow a certain list of Dos and Don’ts. And here they are, the most important things you need to do (and avoid!) if you want your renovation project to be a success.
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Don’t: Just Focus on Aesthetics
We’re visual beings. It makes sense to want our kitchens to look amazing, have that Instagram-worthy look we’ve been so envious of. The problem with the looks-first approach is that it tends to forget the practical elements that will make actually using your kitchen so much nicer.
It can be so easy to get swept away by the allure of beautiful designs and trendy aesthetics. Often, it makes you overlook the crucial aspects, which are functionality and, as mentioned, practicality. In the planning phase, it’s advantageous to physically navigate your kitchen space, imagining the flow of movement during cooking activities. This way, you can enhance your cooking experience and your day-to-day tasks.
Instead, blend the practical with the aesthetic. These are some practical issues you should not overlook:
Positioning of Fridge
A huge mistake made by far too many people: positioning the fridge far too close to the wall. This often happens because we 1) don’t want the fridge to take up any visual room extending out, and 2) we forget to consider the floor trip!
Ideally, try and position your fridge away from walls so that both doors can open without a problem. Otherwise, measure super carefully and give yourself plenty of breathing room.
Consider locating it in a central kitchen area near the main food preparation and cooking zones. Putting it somewhere accessible ensures convenient access to ingredients and minimizes the distance traveled when retrieving items from the fridge.
Oven Next to Appliances = Bad News!
Again, positioning is key here. Don’t place your oven next to other appliances, or next to a wall. It may cause overheating and a lack of ventilation, plus it gives you very little wiggle room when trying to cook.
Aside from the heat factor, which may damage the appliance nearby, it can also make maintenance and repairs challenging. The technician may have limited access or face difficulties in servicing the appliance, which can result in longer repair time and increased costs.
Waste Basket Close to Sink
You can tell we’re all about positioning here, can’t you? Well, it’s a good way of thinking about your renovation. Just think about it, you’re slicing and dicing, washing veggies, and you have to walk to the other side of the kitchen to get rid of waste. It’s just annoying.
Do: Think About the Details
Renovations usually focus on big-ticket items. Beautiful new fridge, an island to die for, cabinets that will make your mother-in-law jealous. These are all worthy of your attention, don’t get us wrong. Yet what this often leads people to do is to forget the details. Expensive counters and sinks, but paired with ugly and cheap knobs and taps.
This isn’t about expensive, either. With the latest tapware designs on offer, choosing those for your renovation, for example, all depends on the look and feel you’re going for. Just make sure you spend the necessary time thinking about these important ‘details’ and how to incorporate them.
Poring over magazines and spending time online to look at the best kitchen aesthetics can save you a lot of time and money. Instead of just winging it, you may also seek the help of experts who are knowledgeable about the best designs that complement and offer you tips where you can get them at a better cost.
Don’t: Forget the Budget!
We’ve already given you an approximate figure for a kitchen renovation: almost $20 grand (Forbes even puts it at roughly $25,000!). Not a small number. But did you know most people start off thinking that they’ll never spend that much?
Yes, unsurprisingly, people are terrible when it comes to renovation budgets. It’s difficult to find someone who has stuck to a figure near to anywhere what they had in mind at the start. It’s just the way it works.
Therefore, listen very carefully: put your budget at the forefront of the project. Itemize everything, get iron-clad estimates for the work. Always give yourself that little bit of a buffer just in case (trust us, you’ll probably need it!).
Do: Get a Kitchen Island
There are many who claim that those who have not owned a kitchen island, haven’t truly lived. The kitchen has always been the beating heart of any home, and a kitchen island serves as a true gathering point. Everyone just naturally tends to gravitate towards it, catching up about one’s day when grabbing a snack or coffee.
It also serves to maximize space and give you additional storage and seating. When cooking, it makes the job so much easier by giving you that little extra counter space that makes all the difference.
Get yourself a few foldable or some bar-style chairs and you have extra seating when you have an overflow of guests. Once you go island, you’ll never go back!
Finally, Don’t Jump In!
Kitchen remodeling projects are difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. They can be super rewarding, but only if you do the right level of planning. Do your research carefully. Get different quotes, meeting contractors with a proven track record and good reviews. Don’t get taken in by price alone; it may be too good to be true.
The main thing is to take your time with it. We get it, you’re excited. But this is a major investment that can go from dream addition to legit nightmare very quickly. So, our final piece of advice is to not jump into anything and to give the project the time it needs to succeed. You’ll get there.
